Free piston engine



Aug- 9, 1960 J. HALTENBERGER 2,948,269

FREE PIsToN ENGINE EiledApril 1e, 195e al-SVB 372i FQTI.

IN VEN TOR.

i ;/It its thelobiect.ofrmyrinventron,,t providefappwermeans for compressed air transfer.

lori 151 15e, i naar iii-riirnfsto engi-rr j sciimr. (ci. 12s- 746i Openingsg respectiyely. i

'When theilargel'plstA 'rcsff invention relates 'f6 fire," powergas generators.

Many` combinations-of ,freepowen andair compressors l I p Y v f 'presentation, a doubleopposed powergas generatbr is illustrated. All; generatorsapplicant, isaware of, includej fuel injec- Y tion, here11` o`t.shown.. .n .w :ci 11;; L Alrgnowcrgas generators applic, t ris-aware-TO;A incerporatevalvcs at. differcntangles .andiliierentnsnallrincccssiblefandunscrriceableplacesrandffhey also include 'nrirockingfbeanltypeherenot shown gas generator withA accessible, serviceable and ifacilelyiin- Spectable reed valves."l i Y g 'A runner' object-ris, to proviceajsiinlc metho @he s {bie- )ivi poitisE 4Bi-'in theinnerfhous'ing,l sure scavenge air from reservoir 41 to clean and cool the combustion chamber. The high pressure scavenge 35 air now further heated, with increased pressure ,escapes through duplicate ports 49 uncovered by the other piston, and the powergas escapes to collector 50, and through taken 0n line 2 2 0f Figl; Fig 3 iS a Section faken exit port 51, it can be guided into an operating gas turon line 3-3 of Fig. l. bine, which can be constructed of inexpensive materials,

'Referring t0 FigS- 1 t0 3 inclusive, it Will be Seen o inasmuch as the powergas is usually under 1000 Fahrenth-at a powergas outer housing 10, is provided with end heit temperaturey covers 11. The housing ends are formed into cylinder AS is clear from the drawings,` the power pistons rebOIeS 12 fOr the fecipl'ccel Operation 0f large Pistons ciprocate in the inner generator housing, near their seal- 13, they are integral with undercut piston necks 14 having walls the housing is provided with multiple coming Cnt inner edges '15, and Small diameter POWci' Pistone 45 pressed air passage holes 51 (only one is lshown on each 16, with end Walls 17, operating in a cylinder bore PiS- side). At the piston units substantially cxtreme inward ton slide surface 18, in an inner generator housing 20- position, as indicated by chain lines in Fig. 1, thc power The Chambers disposed outside of the travel of PSOnS piston lneck undercuts expose holes 51, for transferring a 13 are the bouncing chambers 21, they fulfill the IniS- part of the compressed air at its substantially highest SiOnS Comparable t0 nSna-l engine YWlleelS- Parts 13, 14, 50 pressure, directly into the scavenge 'air reservoir, there- 15, 16 and 17 form apiston unit. by increasing the engines volumetric and thermal ef- 'Ihe large piston. travel inner spaces form air comoienoy, v PfeSSOI chambers 22, having Sealing 'Walls 23, they lat- In the appended claims "machined shall mean a surerally terminate in thickened Wall POI'OIIS 24, these ellalnface applicable to hermetical healing. lIn an assembled A further object is, to provide 'piston neck undercut Further objects will appear as the description proceeds. Referring to the drawings: Fig. l is a fragmental side elevation of a powergas generator; Fig. 2 is a section beIS are Provided With ail' P aSSage Openings 2.5- 55 engine fthe reed valves open inwardly, the very same The generator outer housingfor the hermetically sealed valves when on a manifold unit as described as opening adaption of a manifold unit housing generally at 26, outwardly iS Provided With a Single Plane machined adopting Surface While I have herein shown and described only certain 27, on the outer surfaces of end Walls *28,l to them conspecific embodiments of my invention and have sugnected side walls 29 and the interconnecting thickened 60 gested only certain possible modifications, it Win be ap- Wall portions 24. The manifold unit is provided with preciated that many changes and variations can be made amachined single plane mounting surface 30- The manito suit particular conditions and embodiments of use, fold unit is secured to the housing as by capscrews 31. without departing from the spirit and Scope of my inven- The engine combustion chamber 32' is disposed inbetion, tween the ends of the contracted power piston-s, indi- '65 What apphcant claims as his invention; Gated in Fig. 1 by chain lines 17'. A fuel eXPlOSiOn 1. In a free piston engine powergas generator an outer therein drives the power pistons and piston units respechousing, a machined single plane adapting surface theretively apart, substantially to the position shown on the on, a piston having a bouncing chamber at one side, and dre-Wings, they are decelefated by the ail' COmpressed in an air piston compressor on the other, reciprocating in the bouncing chambers, the built up pressure in the bounc- 70 said housing, a manifoId unit having a Single plane mount. ing chambers drives the piston units back for the subseing surface secured on said first mentioned surface, said quent explosion and further cycling. unit including an ambient air inlet duct that terminates in an inlet valve port having a valve seat with an inwardly opening reed valve thereon, an air passage from said valve to said compressor, and from said compressor an air passage to a high pressure passage disposed in said manifold unit and terminating in an outlet valve port having a valve seat and an inwardly opening reed Valve thereon, and an air passage from said outlet valve to a scavenging air reservoir, said reed valvesare operatively secured on said manifold single plane surface,`

whereby, at manifold removal the reed valves and their respective valve seats become accessible for inspection and servicing. Y

2. The invention defined in claim 1, wherein, the air passage adjacent to the inlet valve is provided with openings leading into the bouncing chamber when said openings are exposed at the substantially extreme inward position of said piston, whereby, the bouncing chamber is replenished with compressed ambient air for increased cycling.Y

3. A manifold unit for a double opposed free piston engine powergas generator having a housing with a maehined single plane manifold adopting surface thereon, and a pair of air compressors and a scavenge air reservoir therein comprising, a housing having a machined single plane mounting surface thereon, an air inlet port with a pair of substantially equal length air ducts, each terminating in a valve port with a valve seat and an outwardly opening reed inlet valve thereon, high pressure air passages terminating in valve ports with valve seats and outwardly opening reed outlet valves thereon, and means operatively securing `said valves to said single plane surface.

4. In a free piston engine powergas generator an outer housing, a piston having a bouncing chamber at one side and an air compressor on the other, reciprocating in said housing, an air inlet'valve, an air passage from said valve to said Aair compressor, said air passage provided with openings leading into the bouncing chamber when said openings are exposed at the substantially extreme air compressing position of said piston, whereby the bouncing chamber is replenished with compressed ambient air for increased cycling.

5. A manifold unit for a free piston engine powergas generator having a housing with a manifold adopting surface thereon, and anV air compressor and a scavenge air reservoir therein comprising, a housing having a mounting surface thereon, and an air inlet port having an air duct and terminating in a valve port with an outwardly opening inlet valve thereon, a high compression air passage terminating in a valve port with an outwardly opening outlet valve thereon, means for removably securing said manifold unit to said generator housing whereby, by the removal of said manifold unit the inlet and outlet valves and seats `are exposed for inspection or servicing.

Reference-s Cited in the iiie of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,111,074 Lawler Sept. 22, 1914 2,200,892 Pescara May 14, 1940 2,344,058 Pescara Mar. 14, 1944 2,554,762 lWelsh et al. May 29, 1951 2,581,600 Pescara Jan. 8, 1952 2,619,797 Haworth Dec. 2, 1952 2,678,032 Mallory May 11, 1954 2,702,985 Howell Mar. 1, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 594,833 Great vBritain Nov. 20, 1947 507,250 Canada Nov. 9, 1954 

